Editorial: NCAA basketball is sport done well
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Let&8217;s take a moment to appreciate something right in the sports world today. Take notice of the NCAA men&8217;s basketball tournament.
What makes it appealing is, of course, young athletes who play for the love of basketball and for the love of their school.
Well, most of them do anyway. Most of the players will remain amateur athletes after graduation. Most of the players have a college scholarship in return for their dedication and talent.
And what makes the NCAA tournaments appealing is it crowns true champions. To be a powerhouse program, you&8217;ve got to do battle with Cinderellas. There are opportunities for David to beat Goliath. The George Masons, Gonzagas and Southern Illinoises can build successful programs, too.
NCAA Division I football opposes those possibilities. The structure is set up to favor teams in power conferences to enter the championship bowl games. Not in a big-time conference? Tough luck. Teams like Boise State have to battle the system to get what should be an honest look. NCAA football needs a fair playoff system of eight or 16 teams, with the games starting in early December.
Pro baseball, with no salary caps and little revenue sharing, favors teams in big markets. Pro hockey has abandoned its base fans in favor of non-hockey locations. Pro basketball has lost faith in the value of its sport. It emphasizes stars through rules, strategies and pay disparity that destroy the team aspect of basketball.
Pro football, with revenue sharing, salary caps and an emphasis on teamwork, comes the closest to getting the professional sports right. Credit goes where credit is due.
Other college sports &8212; such as hockey, wrestling, women&8217;s basketball &8212; have great appeal, too, but they don&8217;t get the attention that men&8217;s basketball does. We wish they did.
So while America is watching the Big Dance, let&8217;s bask in the happiness of a sport done well.